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October 19, 2017
CGS Featured in Apparel Magazine's Fall Buyer's Guide
The latest Buyer’s Guide from Apparel Magazine was released and it is a must-read for industry professionals who want to learn about the latest technological innovations for the apparel industry. The guide is a useful resource for anyone who wants to learn about software providers and their supply chain solutions.
CGS BlueCherry was highlighted as a solution leader in the following categories:
| Design and Product Development | Sourcing / Production & Logistics | Warehouse Management & Product Identification |
|---|---|---|
| Digital Asset Management | Capacity/Production Planning | Barcode Identification |
| Collaborative Planning & Design | Costing | Crossdocking |
| Color Communication | Payroll | Drop Shipping / Direct Shipping |
| Concept/Line Development | Raw Materials Management | Inventory Management |
| Cost Estimating | Request for Quote (RFQ)/Bidding | Labelling |
| PDM | Social/Environmental Compliance Management | Labor Management |
| PLM | Vendor Scorecard/Supplier Relationship Management | Picking/Packing & Receiving/Putaway |
| Product Analytics | WIP Tracking/Shop Floor Control | Quality Assurance |
| Sample Development | Color Quality Control | Returns Management |
| Specification Management/BOM Tracking | Quality Management | RFID |
| Style Change Management | Customs Compliance (Import/Export Documentation) | Shipping |
| Supplier Collaboration | Freight Optimization | Slotting Optimization |
| ERP & Supply Chain Management | Logistics Tracking | Transportation Execution |
| Small-Market ERP | Third-Party Logistics (3PL) Management | Wireless Solutions/RF |
| Mid-Market ERP | Retail | Work Order Management |
| Large-Market ERP | Allocation Planning | Yard Managment (Appointment Scheduling) |
| 2B Exchange / Auction Solutions | Assortment/Line Planning | eCommerce |
| Collaborative Planning | Business Intelligence/Reporting | Multi-channel Integration |
| Consigment Inventory Management | Demand Planning | Order Management Systems |
| Cut Order/Spread Planning | Forecasting | |
| EDI | Merchandising | |
| Forecasting | POS Data Analysis | |
| Global Data Synchronization (GDSN) | Sales Force Automation | |
| Materials Resource Planning | ||
| Roll/Case Goods Management | ||
| Vendor-Managed Inventory (Collaborative Replenishment) |
The buyer’s guide also features Q&A interviews with leading experts on IT solutions for the apparel industry. CGS’s Paul Magel, President, Applications and Technology Outsourcing, spoke to Apparel about ERP & Supply Chain Management.
Magel's first question was what are some of the tell-tale signs and indications that it’s time for an apparel company to invest in a modern ERP system. He listed out and discussed these key indicators:
1. Inability to fulfill orders to meet customer satisfaction
2. Problems managing and controlling inventory
3. Lack of visibility into key business data and performance metrics
4. Difficulty capturing different kinds of orders
5. Significant effort needed to make even basic changes to a homegrown or dated ERP system
6. A lot of effort on manual processes
7. Frustration among staff
Apparel then asked Magel how apparel companies can use ERP systems to manage modern supply chains, which have grown increasingly complex in the last several decades.
To manage the many moving pieces of the modern apparel supply chain, Magel advised that companies look into solutions with that have a long history and good reputation with apparel companies. These solutions are more likely to be tailored for the apparel industries unique challenges. Magel then listed out how an ERP can improve the supply chain by giving you real-time visibility into data. These benefits are:
• a cohesive centralized data/transaction model
• robust integrations for moving data/transactions into or out of other systems
• the ability to maintain data and transaction integrity at all times
• timely visibility of relevant data on all partners, easing the decision-making process
• ability to scale
• agile enough to support evolving requirements as business, partners and policies change
Magel then spoke to Apparel about transparency in the supply chain, and what it means to today’s consumers who have more access to information than ever before.
He feels first and foremost, the demand for transparency from today’s consumers, has impacted the way companies design the user experience. Retailers must now provide a seamless experience for their customers across all channels such as catalog, online, physical stores, mobile, and so on. In order to meet these demands, and to remain competitive in the fast-paced retail industry, companies need agile supply chain operations. In addition to user experience, access to information has also lead to increased pressure on companies to know their supply chain and to only engage with companies who follow humanitarian social and environmental practices. Magel stated:
Transparency around all these aspects of your business and products allows apparel companies to build stronger connections with their consumers, while also improving their environment and communities. Transparency reflects who you are as a business partner and how well you live up to your customers’ expectations. There is no greater loyalty driver than standing above the white noise. A critical part of this achievement is having the best ERP for your business to succeed.
In another interview, Ajay Chidrawar, Global Product Manager & Customer Success, CGS, spoke on a panel with two other experts from Simparel Inc. and Gerber Technology. The group discussed changes in Design & Product Development and how software companies are helping fashion brands navigate these challenges.
As in Magel’s discussion on ERP and the supply chain, a pressing concern for many apparel companies is how to increase speed to market to meet consumer demand. For design and product development, however, companies face additional pressure for more styles and designs. The group spoke at length about what companies should look for when they are choosing a design management platform and PLM software.
Chidrawar listed out the features that companies should look for to achieve greater speed to market and innovative designs. They are:
• Line sheet production and visual reporting tools for design and concept meetings
• Sharing technical specifications across multiple departments to quickly update the existing bill
• of materials (BOM) with changes
• E-commerce support capabilities, such as updating online catalogs quickly with digital asset management, collecting feedback from social media channels, and seeing real-time inventory levels for e-commerce sites
• Integration with an ERP system to reduce latency between PLM and ERP, which optimizes the product planning process
• The ability to quickly set up BOM and retrieve accurate estimates
• Real-time collaboration with supply chain partners, including factories overseas to expedite product evaluations
• Integration with design tools, such as the Adobe Illustrator plugin, to shield creative designers from software complexities while still providing simplified access to sophisticated PLM functionality from within their preferred environment (Adobe Illustrator)
Apparel then asked the panel how brands can use PLM as a differentiator.
In addition to greater collaboration and speeding up the design process, Chidrawar stated “Apparel companies can leverage PLM to elevate visibility and quality control. According to the recent PLM Special Report published by Apparel magazine in partnership with Gartner, process standardization is the most consistent value add year-over-year. By standardizing PLM processes, companies remove silos and team members can work together more efficiently.”
The last question Apparel asked the panel was how the demand for more personalized, “tailored-for-one” products was changing design and production processes in the industry.
Chidrawar explained that the data and transparency with PLM software allow companies to test demand with smaller quantities, and from the feedback, analyze what changes should be made, before scaling production to meet larger demand. Additional ways that PLM software helps is enabling companies to create development specs and tech packs with greater accuracy and speed, as well as increasing the collaboration with vendors. The tools available on these platforms are a crucial part of reducing inaccuracies, which ultimately increases the speed at which apparel and fashion brands can create personalized items and get them to their customers.
The importance of choosing the right software tools for your apparel company cannot be understated in the fast-paced, changing demands of the industry. Although it is a challenging time for many fashion brands, those who have managed to get efficient systems in place, and use them to their fullest capacity, have also unlocked amazing growth opportunities. Staying up-to-date by reviewing the companies, offerings, and discussions in Apparel Magazine’s Buyer’s Guide is one way to keep up with emerging technologies and solutions to help your company progress forward.
To learn more about PLM and ERP solutions, read up on CGS’s solutions here.
